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The latest podcast from The National Archives is a real gem. I listened to it on the bus coming home from Brighton this lunchtime. The podcast is called Forgeries in the archives, and covers a broad range of historical documents, and forgers and their motives, not just those cases that involved archives.

It was fascinating to hear about some of the characters involved, their motives and the methods involved in creating their forgeries and how they were eventually uncovered. It then goes to explain that new evidence has meant that some documents which were originally believed to be forgeries may not be after all.

It is unlikely that family historians will have to worry about forgeries (although there is one case mentioned involving a parish register) because as the speaker (David Thomas) points out it is mainly famous individuals like Shakespeare and Hitler that feature in forgeries, presumably because this is where the money and fame can found.

Sadly, despite what it say at the start of the podcast there is no further information on the website, but there is more information on the case involving The National Archives on their website, in the 2007 Freedom of Information disclosure log, including copies of the documents and police witness statements.